Winter weather hits cattle with a double whammy—the cold causes them to seek shelter and changing and variable weather can lower immune response, leaving animals more susceptible to disease, says BEEF columnist W. Mark Hilton, clinical professor of beef production medicine at Purdue.

"During good weather, beef cattle tend to spread out a bit and don't seek shelter," he says. "When the weather is inclement, and if a good barn is available, animals will seek shelter there. If the shelter is too small for the entire herd, or if it has poor ventilation, the viruses some animals harbor can be more easily spread to other animals."

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